Hair loss is associated with a variety of psychological and social implications. Prior to starting any treatment it is advantageous to predict the course, severity, and treatment options of the disease. In the field of hair loss, very little scientific diagnostic tests are currently available, and there are few methods to predict treatment response.
Moreover, the hair loss industry is littered with dozens of products that claim to grow, improve, and replace hair. Unfortunately, few treatments have been scientifically demonstrated to work, and the few treatments that have undergone clinical trials often do not work equally for all patients.
Androgenetic alopecia has been successfully treated in men by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”) approved medication Finasteride (marketed as Propecia) as well as by off-label anti-androgen drugs. The drugs ultimately influence gene transcription mediated by the Androgen Receptor complex.
Among various individuals, whether male or female, there is a broad variability in the response of different people to various hair loss treatments. This variability is a result of a complex interaction of genetic and physiological factors contributing to variable androgen receptor control of gene transcription, making a one-size-fits-all approach difficult to achieve. It would therefore be advantageous to be able to have an effective diagnostic method where patients could be selected and treated on the basis of direct physiological activity assay, which would identify some people as being likely to benefit from treatment by anti-androgen therapies, while identifying other individuals in which treatment is not likely to be effective.